Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department (a) is in discussions with the German Federal Environment Agency to obtain further information on that Agency's reports of leakage of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) into German water supplies from heat pumps and air conditioning and (b) has made an assessment of whether those reports of leakage of TFA into German water supplies have implications for the Government’s plans with regards to heat pumps.

The Government has no current plans to commission independent research on this topic. Evidence tells us that the primary source of trifluoroacetic acid in the environment is believed to be through atmospheric oxidation of the CFC-replacement gases, HCFC-123 and HFC-134a, though various fluorochemicals have the potential to degrade to trifluoroacetic acid.

Trifluoroacetic acid is one of a group of thousands of substances collectively called poly- and per-fluorinated substances (PFAS), which are highly persistent in the environment. As a group they are being considered under a risk management options analysis under UK chemical regulation (UK REACH). The Environment Agency also considered Trifluoroacetic acid as part of its priority and early warning system for chemicals.

My Department has had no discussions with the German Federal Environment Agency regarding their reports on trifluoroacetic acid but is aware of its monitoring approach.